I remember back to my childhood making forts with my brother and sister like it was just yesterday. Grabbing out piles of blankets and draping them over chairs. We would get inside, bring flashlights, bring in snacks and sit inside a talk and laugh for hours. It was our little getaway in our own home.
Now, being a mom I get to relive the experience with my daughter. Besides just the blankets over chairs, really think how much fun you can have with making forts. We have built forts out of cardboard boxes both inside and outside, we have made forts in the closet, we have brought in decorations and lighting inside too! I started to wonder how others take their fort to the next level. Naturally, I searched for some ideas. Here is what I found. Let’s just say people are so creative-and they are so easy (& cheap) and your kids will be so happy!
1. Cardboard Clubhouse
Grab an old box, some paint, and some accessories you have laying around the house. Look at this adorable example from So You Think You’re Crafty. You can customize it anyway you’d like! It can also be brought inside as well.
2. Under the Stars Fort
Take a cardboard box and poke holes through the top and stick in holiday lights-dim the room lights and Violia! A fort under the stars. How much fun is this? This great idea came from Our World of Us.
3. Summertime Sheet Tent
It’s simple. It’s a sheet over a rope between two structures. It’s the perfect backyard retreat. Your kiddo can lay underneath daydreaming about fireflies and campfires. It’s a great place to read and relax. You can see a how-to tutorial at Rhythm of the Home.
4. Bed Fort
What is better than the comfort of your own bed? How about making a fort out of it? Check out this pin from Pinterest I stumbled upon. It doesn’t take up any floor space in your home, and will encourage your kiddo to embrace bedtime.
5. The Cardboard Castle
The king of all forts. Make a massive castle in your backyard, invite the neighbor kids to help, like the one I found on Pinterest. Go to your local grocery or department store and ask for some cardboard boxes, buy some duct tape and help the kids cut shapes. You could even make a maze inside. Get creative and have them make signs, decorate, paint, they could even throw some sleeping bags in and camp put for the night. The possibilities are endless. Your backyard would be the envy of all the neighborhood kids. You’d likely be the coolest parent on the block.
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